


The Champion and the Human

by DuskBeforeDawn



Series: Give Shance A Chance [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha!Shiro, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Galrans Humans and Alteans live on the same planet, BAMF Original Character, BAMF!Lance, BAMF!Shiro, I lied, Lance in the Arena, M/M, Minor Character Death, Omega!Lance, SMUTS IN THIRD CHAPTER, Shiro is the Champion, Violence, dark!shiro, kind of?, yeah now theres a third chapter T.T
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-15 15:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12323847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskBeforeDawn/pseuds/DuskBeforeDawn
Summary: Lance swallowed hard, this was definitely Not Good™. Now, it’s not like their second gender always affected one’s personality, but the one thing that was true was that Alphas were meant for fighting. Prime Alphas even more so. Add that to being a mute, or in other words, wild, and well… bye bye Lance. “So you’re saying I’m going to possibly fight a feral Prime Alpha? That’s so what I wanted to do when I woke up this morning.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There’s just not enough pure Shance on here. It’s saddening. And I kept dreaming about this… Soo… *throws fic at you* 
> 
> Also, first time doing A/B/O, and everyone kinda interprets it a little differently, so sorry if it isn’t like others you’ve read :3
> 
> Enjoy~

“Move along!” Hands shoved Lance forward roughly. He shot a glare back before shuffling forward more. “Hurry it!”

“Look, I’m only going as fast as the person in front of me, okay?!” A slap to the back of his head was the only answer he got in return. In all honesty, there was only a guard before him, so he kind of deserved that. Still, violence is definitely not the answer. Growling under his breath, Lance tried to go faster, but it was kind of hard with the chains on his feet. Which really, was he an animal or something? Well… okay, they all technically were, but he was a tall, lanky dude that didn’t weigh over 140 lbs soaking wet. Did they think he’d be able to get away from the ten guards pushing all these prisoners along?

Lance stumbled to a stop as the guard paused before a large door. Other chains were stacked on the side of the hallway, where other prisoners had come, and hadn’t come back to need. There was a slit in the door that made one able to peer out into what looked like was a rocky terrain. A few huge trees were spread out with vines hanging from them, but they were sparse and their branches were so tall no one would be able to climb them. On the other side of the door there was still a fight going on, and it looked like a free-for-all massacre. He gulped. This was not exactly where he had seen himself at twenty, chained up with other prisoners, about to be tossed into a dangerous fighting ring. Why did the Galra have to be absolute jerks? What had the Humans and Alteans ever done to them? The actual reason had been lost in the hundreds of years they’d been fighting over the planet they both call home. It was sad actually. Couldn’t they forget it over a couple of drinks? That’s what Lance wanted to do.

The Galra that had stopped him glanced over him, and suddenly Lance realized he was the first person in the line. Which… _Oh shit._ “Tch, he won’t last a minute against the Champion. He hasn’t even presented yet.” One of the other captive aliens whimpered at the name. And okay, ouch, just because he was a super late bloomer didn’t mean anything.

Of course, Lance had to open his mouth, head high, “I’ll have you know, I’m sure I can last _at least_ five. More than your mother did for me.” Lance groaned from the floor and picked himself back up. The Galra was going to punch him again but a hand on his arm stopped him.

“Ulrax, stop. He will get his in the ring.”

“Shut up, Thack. I—,”

“Yeah, Ulrax, do everything everyone tells you. Oh wait, if I tell you to get on your knees—,” _Bam!_ “Wow, tough guy, huh?” Two guards pulled Ulrax back from pummeling him, Lance grinning the whole time. Ulrax snarled when he stuck his tongue out at him.

Thack raised a very unimpressed eyebrow, then sighed and bent down to unlock his feet from the chain line that connected to the slaves behind Lance. “I would say that was stupid, Human, but you will not survive the next hour anyways. If you were a Galra, your fierce spirit would be welcome among us.” He smirked, “Even with your mouthy comments.”

Lance returned the expression, “Well if more Galrans were like you, maybe my mouth would be too busy for comments.” He winked as the guard laughed heartily.

“I am almost sorry to see you go, small one.” Thack smiled grimly, and pointed to the rack beside him, “but for entertaining me, I’ll give you free pick of your weapon.”

“Why, Thack, you flatter me.” Scanning over the weapons he quickly decided on the Energy Rifle. It had a long, accurate range, while also being able to fight in closer quarters. Lance thanked his lucky stars that he didn’t have to go out there with a sword. He wasn’t goddamn Mullet head after all. A pang hit him, and Lance bit back the desire to go home. Before the Galra gave the gun to him Lance tilted his head, “What he said about the Champion, what did he mean? I thought no one lives these things very long? Why is he called that?”

The man hummed. “Most do not, but for those that do, they are usually tossed against the Champion. He has been here for over a hundred years, given quintessence every year to keep him from aging. There is a rumor that he was punished for killing the previous Lord’s son Lotor, and is doomed to fight in the ring until he dies, but he has won every fight. The Champion has been fighting so long that he neither remembers himself nor the others he kills. He is a mute Prime Alpha.”

Lance swallowed hard, this was definitely Not Good™. Now, it’s not like their second gender always affected one’s personality, but the one thing that was true was that Alphas were _meant_ for fighting. Prime Alphas even more so. Add that to being a _mute,_ or in other words, wild, and well… bye bye Lance. “So you’re saying I’m going to possibly fight a feral Prime Alpha? That’s _so_ what I wanted to do when I woke up this morning.”

Betas and Alphas behind him were shaking in their boots, just imagining it, and he wasn’t any better. Being mute meant that they had forgotten their humanity so much that it didn’t matter who was put in front of them, if they went on a rampage, they wouldn’t stop. They usually couldn’t talk much, only responding in growls and snarls, hence the ‘mute’ name. It only happened to Alphas, and very rarely Betas. Gosh, Lance wouldn’t even live long enough to present his second gender, and wasn’t that a depressing thought?

“W-What if I present as an Omega in there?!” Lance said, bordering on hysterical.

Thack snorted, “Do not worry, he has went against them before. The Champion does not care; he will kill you no matter what. As for the others…” A shrug, “Enough questions.” And then there was a gun in his hands.

“Now, am I waiting till the free-for-all is done or—,” Thack opened the door and pushed him through. Lance immediately dodged a stray knife and ducked behind a rock, panting, “That answers that question.”

Behind the door Thack chortled and turned to Ulrax, whom had calmed enough to come back to guard duty. “Thirty on the Human being in the last five.”

Ulrax snarled, “I’ll take that bet. He’ll die within minutes!”

 _Okay, play this safe, Lance. Just like your mama always told you. And like Allura said, find high ground._ Right… high ground. Peering around the boulder, he glanced around to take in all the violence. At the center was a human, taller and more muscular than him, and the most devastating person he’d ever seen. And he meant that in both ways, devastating in his looks and his violence. The man was practically _tearing through people_. With his fucking hand! _That’s definitely the Champion they were talking about,_ he thought. Lance was gaping, before he realized that he was making a target of himself and ducked back. Chest heaving, he tried to control his breathing, because he was supposed to survive _that?!_ Were they trying to kill him... Oh wait, they totally were…

“Shit. I’m so fucked. Ulrax totally wasn’t kidding.” Lance slapped himself quietly, “High ground, Lance! Keep it together!”

A little flying triangle droid flew by, focusing on different people and sending its feeds to the multiple screens above the arena. Lance snorted, well at least they were getting a good show. He promptly flicked it off when it looked at him. Shaking his head, he actually focused on the terrain, and managed to ignore the bloodshed. And right there! Bingo! He beamed in victory, mentally mapping out a way to the tall pillar that rose from the other side of the ring. It had a nice outcrop and a few boulders to shield from anyone else with a gun. Perfect.

Slipping quietly out from his shield, he went around a few bodies to the next rock and then the next. For some reason it was getting warm, warmer than usual. A glance up showed the sun was in a higher position and he rolled his eyes. Great, fighting while having a heat stroke. Lance peered around and almost shrieked in surprise when the literal _worst_ person he could run into was a few feet away. The Champion was sniffing the air almost contemplatively. Immediately, Lance stamped down his scent. Not that there was much of one, since he hadn’t presented yet. To help, he grabbed some dirt and rubbed it over his scent glands on the side of his throat. Taking a rock in his hand, he took a deep breath before throwing it hard over the top and hopefully to the other side.

A roar was heard and Lance rolled over and into the small crevasse a few feet away. His chest thumping like crazy, and small chokes of laughter kept bubbling up from his throat. “Okay,” Lance whispered, thinking of his mental map, “Follow the crevasse all the way back…” It didn’t take too long after that to make it to the base of the pillar. A good thirty feet tall stood the column, and rocky enough that he could climb it. Grinning, Lance slung his gun to his back and started up.

Once at the top he pulled his gun and took a deep breath. _Don’t think about it Lance, it’s you or them._ He had people to get back to, important people. It’s not like he hasn’t killed before, they _were_ in a war with the Galra after all, but it had never been against other innocents. Another shaky breath and then he was scanning the ground below him, before he spotted one. A single shot was all it took, the man’s blood spraying the ground behind him and body thumping to the ground. Lance held back the bile in his throat, but barely. He pulled against his shirt, fanning himself from the warmth coming from his skin.

After that, he fell into a rhythm. Aim, shoot, duck, aim again. Of course, there were some that figured out someone was picking them off. Luckily, only a few of them actually had guns. Less with the ability to even hit him this high up, and being such a small target had its perks. Lance leaned back to avoid getting shot in the face, and scrambled back behind the rock to picture where the guy was. It took a second of thought before he locked on and rolled. Right when he crouched up a beam shot from his gun. His target fell and Lance realized the crowed was screaming for him. Granted, it was a great shot. That doesn’t mean it didn’t make him sick though.

Turning to the other sides he searched for any others that he could pick off. When nothing turned up he frowned, and then paled. The problem was… there wasn’t anyone else to kill. Lance’s frown deepened. That didn’t feel right, where was the Champion? He would for sure have heard if he had fallen and— _HOLY FUCK!_ A metal hand gripped the side of the top edge. Lance didn’t even bother hiding his yelp, just shuffled quickly back. _Shit, shit, shit! Stupid Lance! You forgot literally_ the only thing _he should have been keeping track of!_

The Champion was rising up, pushing his body over the edge and suddenly he was up and rushing at him. Lance stumbled to his feet and hurried to raise his gun, but it was too late. The man’s metal hand swatted the gun off the platform, Lance gaping as it flew. Only his quick instincts had him jumping to the side as the other hand slammed into the rock where he previously was. A quick decision and Lance was running for the edge, praying to all the gods he could think of before leaping. The crowd was roaring in the distance, expecting he had thrown himself off for suicide.

Thankfully, his calculations had proved correct, and he grasped onto a vine hanging off one of the ginormous trees scattered through the area. Lance reached the peak of its swing and almost cried in gratefulness at his mother forcing him to do acrobatics, it made it quite easy to toss himself to the next one confidently. A growl was heard behind him and Lance chanced a look behind, gulping at the Champion. What made him really scared was the almost _excited_ looking grin on his face. As if Lance had done something he liked. Dropping to the ground Lance scrambled for his gun, and gasped when he found it.

“Well Lance, you’ve had a good run,” He groaned out in dismay. The Energy Rifle was broken in half, either from the fall or getting smashed with a metal hand, it didn’t matter. Lance glanced back, his face losing all its color as the man stalked nearer. It seemed the Champion knew that he was pretty fucked, as he was grinning. And… was that amusement? Was he fucking playing with Lance?

Suddenly, a gleam from the sun and Lance’s sharp eyes spotted it. A gun, one that someone must have dropped. The problem, it was behind the huge Alpha. Well, either certain death, or a 5% chance of succeeding. It wasn’t that hard of a decision. Lance stood, legs swaying from exhaustion. He was panting as sweat dripped off his face. _Seriously, why is it so hot?!_

The wind changed and the Champion paused in its perusal towards him. Head cocking to the side, the Alpha took a deep breath in, eyes widening. And that’s when Lance knew, because he could finally smell the overpowering scent coming from the Champion. Sure, he had smelt how strong it was before, but since he hadn’t presented it hadn’t affected him any. For fucks sake, could his luck get any worse?! Here he was, after a shitty week in captivity, a day in the ring, and he was presenting as an Omega.

His scent made Lance whimper, and it almost caused him to bare his neck, but honestly, he was just _so done_. He forced himself to take short breaths through his mouth, facing the Alpha head on. Gathering all his courage he trailed closer, the Champion still watching him curiously, like he was trying to figure Lance out. That thought kind of freaked him out, because usually wild Alphas weren’t intelligent enough for normal thought. If this man could still think somewhat rationally, no wonder he had lasted so long.

He quickly shook those thoughts off, and then he was running straight at the Champion. Gasps and screams from the masses faded to a dull thump in the back of his head, his breathing and the warmth curling in his stomach taking over. Lance faked right and went to spin over to the left, the Alpha already reading that and grabbing for him. A smirk spread and he slid down and under the man’s legs, rolling past and was back up on his feet, booking it for the gun by the rocks in the middle.

Just as Lance grabbed the gun and spun he let a quick shot off. It wasn’t fast enough, for the Champion was already there, his hand grabbing Lances’ and pushing the gun so the shot went wide. Lance yelled in pain, body slamming into the rock behind him, wrist held tightly. A droid flew by, stopping a few feet away to watch them and he wanted to scream at it. This was so frustrating; he didn’t want to die here! As if the Alpha knew he wasn’t paying attention to him, he growled, low and deep. His legs shook at the sound, and an involuntary whine slipped from his mouth.

Bright silver grey eyes stared into his, before a metal hand started to wrap around his throat. This was it, the end, and somehow he expected his life to flash before his eyes, but all he could think was, _shit, choke play is third date material at least!_ The thought was so random and stupid that Lance burst out laughing, right in the Champions face. It was almost comical how much the Alpha’s eyes widened at the sight of the hysterically amused grin on Lance’s visage.

When his laughs finally subsided, he realized that the hand around his throat wasn’t tightening, only holding him in place. There was a moment of silence, where they both gazed at each other, tension growing. Lance licked his lips, noticing how those eyes followed the movement. _Quick, distract him! Say something.  
_

“Hey, come here often?” If his hand wasn’t restrained and the other pinned against a hard chest, he would definitely have smacked himself. Because, really?! ‘Come here often?!’ He probably came here every day! To _kill people_! “You wouldn’t mind, um, taking your hand off my throat right?” Something flashed in those eyes, and Lance continued chatting, hoping anything would prolong his life, “Um, I mean, not that your hands aren’t nice or anything. They’re pretty nice actually and so’s your face, and body—,” Aaaand that’s about when he shuts his mouth. There it was again, that flash. That was definitely amusement.

The Champion shifted closer, seemingly scrutinizing him, and stopped at his neck. Lance gulped when he felt the metal hand moving against his throat. To his surprise, the hand wasn’t tightening at all, it was… stroking his neck??? No, that wasn’t it; the hand was rubbing off the mud he had smeared there. The little flakes of dried mud fell off, and his scent swarmed the air around them. Grey eyes darkened immediately, and Lance gasped, as the Alphas smell strengthened in response.

A low growl spread through the taller man’s chest, and this time Lance couldn’t stop himself from baring his throat. The metal hand loosened enough to allow the action and then slipped around his back to pull him closer. The Champion immediately hummed approvingly, moving closer to take a deeper smell. Lance shivered at the nose on his throat, sniffing at the now swollen gland.

 _Didn’t Thack fucking say he didn’t care for Omegas?!_ And this was why one shouldn’t trust Galrans. Or half ones… like Keith. Screw Keith and his mullet hair.

Teeth grazed his scent gland and Lance melted against the hard chest. It felt so good that slick started slipping down his thighs, causing him to whine. Lips mouthed at his gland, and comprehension was flying out of his brain, instincts taking over. That’s at least what Lance told himself, because what possible craziness came over him couldn’t be him thinking logically.

He wiggled the hand that had been pinned between their bodies and placed it on the base of the Alphas neck, thumb and wrist brushing against the other’s gland, scent marking himself with the Champion’s smell. That was the equivalent of giving the green light. Which… what?! But he couldn’t help it, the other was so strong, handsome, and capable of protecting him, the perfect mate. Lance whimpered, and the other rumbled back as his lips made their way up the Omega’s jawline and to his mouth.

The warm lips slanted against his, a gush of slick sliding out at the feeling. He moaned and moved against the Champion, opening his lips for the other when they licked and nibbled at the bottom of his mouth. And when Lance’s other hand was finally free, he couldn’t help but grip the wide shoulders, trying to bring himself closer to that heady, heavy scent. Fingers brushed the base of his spine where the shirt had risen up, and the Alpha groaned at the feeling of smooth skin. It seemed to please him so much his whole hand slid under, the warmth of his hand giving Lance a head rush.

The Alpha pulled back after he had thoroughly covered Lance in his scent. Both were panting, pupils blown wide with lust. The Champions mouth opened, a dark, gravelly voice coming out, albeit unsteadily from not using it often, “…Name…?”

A blush covered his face at this, which was odd considering all the things they had just done. But _something_ about that voice weakened him, “L-Lance.” That made him pause, cocking his head. “W-What’s yours? It can’t be ‘Champion’?”

The Champions countenance seemed confused for a minute, but Lance was close enough to see something finally _spark_ in that look. It seemed he was remembering something. “S-Shi-Shiro...” The Alpha swallowed harshly, peering down at Lance in his arms, and nodded, as if he was confirming it for himself. “Shiro.”

“Shiro,” Lance tried, voice still husky from before. Shiro growled at his name happily, hand coming up to rub at the tan neck. His eyelids fluttered at the sensation, still feeling the slick come out at the other’s ministrations.

“Hmmm…” He rumbled, “ _Lance_.” That had the Omegas eyes open; looking at the possessive gaze of the other, “Mine.” Thumbs rubbed at his spine, his breath leaving him and Lance nodded shakily.

“Y-Yours.” And Lance realized he meant it. Because he definitely wouldn’t mind being this strong Alphas mate, and Shiro’s scent mixed so well with his own. His body almost _ached_ for it. So much that when he saw guards approaching them he snarled and snapped his sharpened canines at them. That caught the Alpha’s attention, his head turning to look at who had interrupted them. Shiro roared, baring his own pointed canines in a terrifying snarl. The guards stuttered to a stop, and even in his haze, Lance noticed that Ulrax and Thack were among them.

They both looked on warily, and Ulrax seemed a little pissed that his throat wasn’t ripped out yet. Lance smirked, sticking out his tongue. The Galra growled at Lance. Which was a bad move, because Shiro did _not_ like that at all. The Alpha’s scent grew almost overwhelming as he stared him down, and it was aiming straight for Ulrax. The man crumpled from the pure power of it, exposing his neck and yelping in fear.

Thack raised his hands and gave a glance around, the others reluctantly following his lead. “Human,” he paused at Shiro’s low growl. He lowered his voice; “We merely need to take him out of the ring.”

“Um…” Lance glanced up at the man holding him, “I don’t think he’s going to let me go…” Shiro turned to him, question in his face. “Not that I _want_ to.” He amended.

The Galra nodded slowly, “I had guessed as much. The two of you are welcome to a room, we just need to bring him back to his.” Thack glanced between them, a little smile on his face. “I must admit, I did not expect this outcome, little one, for he has shown no interest in any Omegas before… You must have impressed him with your fearlessness and strength. Never would have guessed you would laugh in the face of death,” His tone turned nearly teasing, “let alone make out with it.”

Lance felt his face flush, and Shiro pressed him closer at the change in his pheromones. He mumbled, “You and me both.” Clearing his throat he turned to Shiro and stroked his neck, causing the man to shiver. Slowly, the Alpha’s muscles relaxed minutely and the anger that had been building in his expression disappeared. There was almost something fond in his eyes when he looked at Lance. The Omega bit his lip shyly and leaned to whisper in his ear, “Take me back and make me a nest?”

A full body shudder came over Shiro, and he swept Lance up into his arms, making him yelp in surprise. He stalked past the guards who were practically tripping over themselves to get out of the way. Thack merely followed along after them with the others, a good ten paces back of course. Everyone they met in the hallways either dodged into rooms or plastered themselves against the walls as they went past. Lance took this opportunity to rub his cheek against Shiro’s nape, gaining pleased little growls from him.

Apparently Shiro had gone this way so much that he knew exactly where he was going. They ended up in front of a door in a few minutes, and Thack hurried to press his palm against the scanner to open it. Shiro snarled at him for coming close, and Lance just squeezed the back of his neck. The Galra took Shiro’s distraction to slip further away, watching as the door closed behind the Champion’s back.

It was silent in here, and the space was rather big, for being prisoners and all. Apparently being the Champion had perks, because it was clean and there was an actual bed, plus what looked like another door. Bathroom possibly? Lance shook away the thought as big hands gently lowered him to the bed. Another reached up and smoothed over a tan cheek, making Lance hum in pleasure. Shiro pushed him further back, grabbing pillows and shoving them behind him. Lance stared up at him, watching as the big figure fussed over blankets surrounding the Omega. It was really… cute, endearing, adorable, and whatever other adjectives he couldn’t think of. The softness in those hands made his heart flutter.

Finally, it seemed like Shiro was pleased, if the smirk on his face was any indication. He huffed and pealed off his shirt to throw on the ground. Lance’s mouth dried. “I could get used to this,” He groaned.

Shiro slipped next to him, pulling the other close to his body heat. The metal arm wrapping under Lance’s stomach and his other went back to smoothing over his scent gland, making the Omega whimper and melt back into the pillows. Lance shuffled into Shiro’s shoulder, closing his eyes as the sensation slowly eased him into sleep.

His last thought was, _Ha, told you I could last longer than five minutes. Showed ya, you shitty Galran._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sooooo… that literally took forever. I was so done with sitting at my comp for 7 hrs so I only skimmed it once, sorry for mistakes. And I’m thinking of making a second chapter with more bonding and smut??? Idk though, not sure how people will receive this! So tell me what you think and please be gentle ;)
> 
> Sorry there's not much dialogue? But hopefully it's interesting regardless. Also, I was reading and nests aren't just for heat, they're also for a mate/possible mate to get comfortable/feel safe with their Alpha's scent surrounding them. 
> 
> Shance is life.
> 
> Comments are appreciated :3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: T.T OMG I’M BLOWN AWAY. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten this much of a response! You guys are so fucking awesome! I swear, the Shance fandom has been so kind to me, like everyone’s so damn nice. 
> 
> I was so scared that I was doing the A/B/O thing wrong but you guys loved it so much so I’m obviously doing another chapter! And so sorry this isn’t really up to my usual standards??? But there’s more dialogue and some bonding? Smut’s gonna be next one (I’M SORRRYYY)
> 
> For some reason I kinda fell in love with Thack??? So there’s more of him. And a surprise character~

Lance suddenly found himself with a lot of free time. Apparently, the Champion didn’t fight every day since that would constantly deplete the stores of ‘willing’ participants against him. The first two days after his debut into the Arena had Lance and Shiro lazing around, slowly mixing their scents to get more used to one another. It was a common thing that happened between new couples that were planning to become mates. Though it had surprised Lance quite a bit, somehow he was still blown away by how gentle Shiro was with him, how slow he was going. Lance had this expectation that the Champion would be as rough an Alpha in the downtime as he was in the ring. In truth it was the opposite.

It was quite strange how fast Lance started feeling comfortable around Shiro. Even after seeing (and almost experiencing) how Shiro could break people’s necks with one squeeze, he still desired those hands on him. Stroking his neck, sliding through his hair, just about anything really. What he truly loved the most though, was when Shiro would speak back. That voice could serve as a wet dream in itself. Deep and soft, while holding a steel undertone.

“…Lance.” Shiro said, lying towards the Omega with his hand rubbing Lance’s side. Those grey eyes were staring straight at him.

He paused in his babbling, “Yeah? What’s up gorgeous?” There was a twitch on the other man’s lips. And that was equivalent to a grin, as much as Lance could tell.

“Your…family?”

Lance blinked in confusion before realizing what he was asking. A big smile overtook his face, “Oh! You want to hear more about my family?” A nod, “Okay, as I said my mama is an amazing cook! She always tells me that I need to fatten up or else I’d never attract a mate.” Shiro growled, making him laugh at the Alpha’s jealousy. “Don’t worry! I’m not going for anyone else. Mama just wanted an excuse to cook. Now, I have two little siblings, one a boy and another a girl, plus my only older brother. My eldest sibling, Learco, is my full-blooded brother, as our father was the same. He died on the battlefield when I was little, and he was a high-ranking Altean warrior, which is why my ears are a little more pointed than most humans. I can hear really well too! Though not as well as full Alteans.” The Alpha hummed, brushing his fingers over the smaller, sharp tipped ears, making Lance shiver. They were really sensitive too.

“Younger ones?”

Coughing, Lance squirmed in the strong hold to get his bearings back. He willed away the heat in his belly, “Ah, yes. Um, my second youngest sibling, Elerio, is around ten right now; he’s an absolute angel. Exactly the opposite of how I was as a kid.” A soft smile came to his lips, “On the other hand the youngest, Edelira, is a complete demon. Ha! Little Lira always ends up with mud in her hair and her dresses ripped by the end of the day. I don’t know how she does it under our mama’s watch, but she manages. Lira can be found beating the little boys in the village at everything, games, sports, fighting, you name it, and she’s good at it. Ahhh, she’s going to be a hellion when she’s older, but a complete heart-breaker. Even now at eight she’s really pretty. I bet she’s gonna be an Alpha.”

His happy expression dropped thinking about them, as they were so far away. Sighing, he brushed his hand up Shiro’s arm for comfort when the other spoke, “Miss them?”

Lance nodded, “Yeah. A lot. I should be there helping Lira get sticks out of her hair and practicing with Elerio for his school play. Yet I stupidly got caught and now I’m a prisoner.”

Shiro frowned and placed his nose into Lance’s neck, rubbing against his gland. It brought a sigh of pleasure from the tan man, then a laugh.

“You’re so sweet it’s ridiculous. Trying to cheer me up?” The Alpha nodded into his throat, humming deeply. His scent surrounded him, relaxing Lance’s tension. When he pulled back, Lance’s eyebrows squished together in thought, “I just… how did you become like this?” It was whispered, but the words made the Champion freeze.

For the first time, Shiro couldn’t seem to look at him. His entire countenance looked tense, and it was obvious that it must have been something terrible. For if Shiro was this sweet when he wasn’t in an induced rage, then how had he been when he had his full humanity? The Galra must have done a horrible thing to him, for him to be so lost in his animal instincts. Lance sighed, this time comforting the Alpha, rubbing his back slowly.

The question was never answered, but Lance never forgot it.

On the third day, he finally came to an unanticipated revelation. It was when the guards had come in to get Shiro for his fight. Throughout the past few days it wasn’t obvious, but now that Shiro’s eyes weren’t on Lance, he could tell. Right when that gaze turned to the guard, the spark of life that Lance loved was instantly gone. It shook him so badly he could barely contain his panic when the guards started taking the other away to fight. The next few minutes were a blur, but Lance remembers the strained voices of the Galrans and Shiro roaring in anger, and then hitting the floor from a strong push.

That shook him out of his shock, but it only made his Alpha furious. Luckily for them, Thack had thrown a magical collar with astounding accuracy to restrain him. It snapped soundly against his neck. Long metal poles attached to it appeared, enabling them to lead the enraged Champion away from his mate. Lance was sure that they would have died without it, and he winced in sympathy at the thought of those in the Arena. They were definitely not going to have a fun time.

A hand appeared in his view. Looking up he saw the purple hand belonged to none other than Thack. “Oh, it’s you Thack, come to visit?”

“Who wouldn’t want to see your pretty face?” Thack replied good-naturedly as he pulled him up.

“Oh my god, I just realized that you’re me, but Galran.” The other snorted, and Lance dramatically sighed, “We could be brothers in another life.”

“I don’t think I’d live long with you as my brother. Look at how much trouble you’ve already given us,” Was the deadpanned reply.

Lance clutched his heart in fake shock, “Why, you wound me. Fiend!” He paused in his merriment and looked back at the way Shiro had disappeared. The flatness in those grey eyes had been rattling. After days of seeing the Alpha gently tuck him into their nest, it was unsettling to see him look like a body puppet to his animal instincts. “So you were with the guards taking him to the ring?”

The Galra nodded.

His eyebrow rose, “Then how come you stayed to help me up. Shouldn’t you be helping them instead? They definitely needed it.”

Thack smirked, “The perks of being their superior. Plus having a big brother as a commander.”

“Oho, never took you as someone to play off someone else’s accomplishments.” Lance plopped down on his bed, trying to distract himself from that look flashing through his thoughts.

Yellow eyes rolled, “I don’t need to. They’re merely scared to piss me off, and in extension my brother.”

“So is your brother like you then? Or Ulrax?”

“Hm. Neither.” For some reason Thack leaned against the now closed door, seemingly at peace with having a chat. Which, if he wasn’t big, hairy, and purple, Lance would really doubt he was actually Galran. It had never occurred to him that not all Galrans were aggressive and violent. “Thace is the stoic protégée type, the I’m-good-at-everything-fear-me-but-I’m-really-nice kind.” He shrugged, “At heart he is a good leader, and cares for his men.”

“Wow, you seem to look up to him.” Was that a pink tinge that Lance saw? Oooh that totally was! Snickering, “So you were the I-follow-my-big-brother-everywhere type then?”

Thack coughed into his hand, “It was merely a way to ascertain the proper way to be a Galran leader. Anything otherwise is hearsay.”

“Suuuure. Keep tellin’ yourself that, Thacky.”

The Galran glared at him for the nickname and straightened from his position on the wall, “I need to check on the men, see if they’ve been butchered yet. If they were actually able to actually get the Champion in the ring without wetting themselves I may just give them a day off. Except that lug rat Ulrax, of course.” Thack sent him a sly look over his shoulder. A hologram pad appeared on the wall after he placed his hand there. Then Thack typed something in and flashed a little card hanging around his neck.

“Give Ulrax my best,” Lance giggled as Thack left laughing.

His smile fell when the Galra disappeared from sight. Lance’s stomach was a twisted knot the rest of the night until the door opened to admit Shiro into the room. Before he could take a step, Lance was there checking over his big form for wounds and wringing his hands. A part of him was scared, but when he looked up into Shiro’s eyes, the spark was back. Lance practically melted into the Alpha’s arms, rubbing his cheek against the strong chest.

“I’m glad you’re back safe, Shiro.” The male huffed, as if he was offended that Lance thought he wouldn’t come back. Chuckles fell from his lips as the Alpha picked him up and tossed him on the bed playfully. Lance leaned on his forearms, tilting his head and smirking. He lifted his leg to hook around Shiro’s hips then pulled. The Alpha followed his prompting easily enough, catching himself on his arms before he fell completely on Lance.

Shiro’s gaze lowered to tan lips and growled. That sound made his insides flutter, heat working its way through his body. His arms went around broad shoulders, tugging the other closer. Warm lips found Lance’s, and he shuddered. The Alpha’s right hand slid up to cup his face softly, stroking his cheek as his tongue glided across Lance’s bottom lip.

Lance whimpered and opened his mouth, letting his own tongue tangle with Shiro’s. The Omega moaned again when Shiro nipped at his lip, gently soothing it afterwards. One big hand pushed Lance further up on the bed by his bottom, giving it a nice squeeze. Shiro followed after him, groaning at how soft it was. Skimming his hand down to grip his thigh, Shiro swung Lance’s right leg so it locked with the left that was still hanging around his hip.

These movements made both nearly shout, bringing them together intimately. Lance spread his legs farther apart, the Alpha slotting against his hips nicely. The heavy weight atop him was grounding, making him feel safe and protected. Shiro growled into his mouth, fingers tilting his Omega’s head so that he could have a better angle to kiss him. He rocked his hips, brushing against the others. The friction was downright torture, and it had him wishing they were a little less clothed. Lance’s thighs were a wet from the slick he had started producing, and he could feel the hard line of Shiro’s arousal against his own. The slick’s smell made Shiro’s eyes darken, but Lance caught something flicker in them and suddenly he was bereft of that delicious warmth.

He whined when Shiro rolled off him, hand gripping over his face and breathing deeply. Lance’s heart stuttered, _am I not desirable?_ _Why did he pull away?_ A hurt sound rose from his throat and the Alpha’s head shot up. Shiro pulled him close again, but instead of the steamy kisses he wanted, they were gentle and soft, on his head, cheeks, and lastly on his lips. It soothed the ache he had felt, but Lance was left a little confused. If he was still desirable, why had Shiro stopped?

Was… Shiro trying to be a gentleman?! Lance pouted. That was the opposite of what he wanted. A couple decades ago Alphas would never mate physically with an Omega until they were in their heat and able to officially get their mark. Such was their ways, to protect Omegas from being used and then discarded. Now, it didn’t matter if an Omega was pure or not, as times became more modern it wasn’t unusual for couples to mess around before they were marked. There were laws in place that helped keep equality evenly dispersed between each of the second genders. Altea did not condone the viewpoint that Alphas were always right.

It was like Shiro was super old fashioned, and that made him think of how old the man actually was. The white-haired man looked around twenty-four at most, but he must have been over a hundred if what Thack said was true. He brushed his hand through the tuft of white hair of his Alpha, thinking to himself. Shiro had been here, fighting, for such a long time. Had he been sane the first few years while slowly devolving? The light in his eyes flickering every time he was put in a fight to the death against an innocent, and then finally extinguished?

Soft fingers caressed his face, wiping away the tears that Lance didn’t know he was crying. Shiro looked distressed, “Sorry.”

Lance chuckled wetly, “It wasn’t you, don’t worry.” The Alpha didn’t look like he believed him, and he bumped their noses together. The rest of the night they spent comforting one another, until they fell asleep.

Three more days were spent in that room, the Omega talking about everything and nothing to his not-so-silent-anymore companion. Each day Lance spoke to him, Shiro’s vocabulary seemed to come back to the forefront of his mind. There were still things he had trouble with, like speaking full sentences, or stringing the words together. And occasionally his mind seemed to just shut down. Usually this was when guards would come to drop off food, he realized that the absentmindedness must be a sort of self-defense. It struck Lance that perhaps the only company he had in the last few hundred years had been silence. The Galra guards didn’t speak to Shiro, and the only thing he heard in the Arena was the prisoner’s screams. That must have been an awful existence.

Lance bit his lip, watching as the Alpha worked out on the floor, “When was the last time someone asked you your name?”

There was a small pause in movement that Lance wouldn’t have caught if he hadn’t been looking. “You.”

“No…” His teeth dug further into his lip, “I meant before that?”

Shiro finally stopped his exercise, getting up and sitting next to him on the bed. His head cocked, “Why you want know?” _Why do you want to know?_

He shrugged, reaching over to lace their fingers together. Lance always tried to touch him in some way these days. It seemed to soothe him, ease the tension that always seemed present in his shoulders. “You were so surprised when I asked. That’s all.”

“Hmmm,” Shiro glanced down at their hands before replying, “Don’t remember.” The Alpha frowned, “Don’t remember lots.”

To the other’s surprise, Lance beamed. “That’s okay! We’ll make new memories all right?”

That was the first time Shiro truly smiled. And if Lance almost fainted… well, no one had to know.

The next time the guards came, Lance went to the Arena. Thack’s face had been grim, and allowed Lance to take the weapon he wanted. They chatted, sending quips back and forth. Lance could tell that the Galra was doing it to make him relax, and it sucked that the war was between them. They could have been great friends. Every time after that, Shiro and Lance switched off, but were never in the ring with each other.

It continued like that for a month before anything changed. On the way to the Arena recently, Thack would give Lance a quick description of the terrain, giving him an advantage to fight against increasingly difficult opponents. Lance could tell that they were jumping up in skill astoundingly fast. As in, he got out of there the last time by the skin of his teeth and had to go to the Druids to be healed. After that, Shiro absolutely refused for him to go back. When they came to take Lance away he raged, throwing guards around and breaking bones until they stopped trying. A part of him knew that Shiro wouldn’t be able to protect him all the time, and he was right. This was one of those occasions he didn’t feel like celebrating being correct.

That morning woke them with a surprise. Lance wasn’t expecting it because he had thought the next few days they would be free like usual to rest until Shiro’s next time in the Arena. He was wrong. Smoke filled the room; Lance and Shiro instantly awake from the awful smell. They were frantically trying to figure out what was going on. Shiro was scowling and growling as he pushed Lance into the corner of their bed, shielding him from sight. His tan hands shook against his Alphas back, and he tried to control his heartbeat. Lance wanted to be strong for Shiro.

They could do nothing as the room was filled, and both let out anxious noises. A few minutes’ later Lance’s eyelids were drooping and he was slumping against Shiro. It took longer than the guards must’ve thought for the sleeping gas to affect Shiro, because they came in with gas masks and completely unprepared. The Alpha swatted the first man away, and a crash was heard from across the room. By this point the Galra were sweating, realizing they had made a mistake.

Shiro snarled, but his body swayed. His reactions were starting to get affected. That didn’t stop him from punching the next guard that got close, and sweeping the feet from under another one. Three more Galrans fell to the ground in pain before Shiro finally couldn’t feel his arms anymore, and tumbled to the floor. But the guards didn’t come for the Champion; instead they went past him and grabbed Lance’s slack body. Shiro howled, thrashing as hard as he could, hand reaching out as if he could grab his Omega.

_“Lance!”_

Whining could be heard, and the Omega realized it was him that was making the noise. Forcing one blue eye open he stared at his mate on the ground, fingers twitching towards his form. The last thing he saw before he was taken out of the room was Shiro’s shaky figure standing up to attack the Galra surrounding him. Lance growled at the unfairness of being torn away from the only good thing he had found in this place. The Galran holding him sneered down at him. It took longer than Lance would have liked, but he recognized the person above him.

Ulrax’s face was smug. Then… darkness.

* * *

Thack stalked through the halls, guards fleeing at the cold expression. _What has that idiot Ulrax done now?!_ He pulled out a small hologram tablet and typed out a coded message, a small notification alerting him that the other had received it. At least _one_ thing was going according to plan.

A message popped up, and he clicked on the small video that was sent. Images of the camera feeds showed him where his target was. Smirking, he silently thanked his brother for his amazing hacking skills. But he couldn’t help but wonder why another was sent. He blinked as he saw his nephew running through the halls on his way to Lance. Well… wasn’t that something? Hopefully his nephew would deal with getting Lance out of here, as a prison break would be the only reason for him to be here. It made things a lot easier, especially with a trouble magnet like Lance. Thack had to hand it to the kid, as much as Lance was troublesome, he had the luck of the devil. He had watched these past weeks as an amazing transformation came over the Champion. Even Thack could see a lurking intelligence in those eyes now.

He shivered.

Opening the room took precious seconds he really didn’t have. He had swiped a pass card off one of the guards he had passed on the way here, if one checked the records, it wouldn’t be him on there. Thankfully the cameras were taken care of in this sector by his brother, and were on a reoccurring loop.

The body lying on the floor was twitching, and growled at him when he came closer. Thack hoped that Lance had put in a good word for him, or else this could go south fast. “Champion, Lance has been taken, as I’m sure you know.” Barely dodging a hand that tried to grab onto his foot, Thack continued, “I’m not here to rub it in. We must hurry; things are happening that I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain. One thing is certain though, you two must leave and go back to Altea.”

The only sound in the room for many moments was heavy breathing, before finally the Alpha on the floor connected eyes with him, “What… do I need… to do?”

Thack smirked, pulling out a small vial, “Don’t punch me when I inject you with this is a start.” The man nodded, and Thack was able to administer a fast acting antidote for the sleeping gas. A beat later and the Champion slowly rose, gaining back his bearings rather quickly. “Now, we will meet up in the Western corridors with my nephew, he will have Lance by that time. If we come across someone…” He smiled grimly, “I think you know what to do.”

* * *

Light… and then a blob standing over him. Lance squinted, his head felt stuffy, like he had slept for too long. The blur kept moving. It finally focused into a face, mouth moving. What was going… Oh! Shiro! His eyes widened, and finally he could hear. The fuzziness in his vision cleared fully, letting him see the person shaking him.

… _Keith?!_

“Yes, you dumbass! We need to go!”

_Oh my god he can read my thoughts?!_

Keith’s face scrunched up, glaring down at him like Lance was being particularly stupid. “Oh, I said it out loud didn’t I?” The half-Galra didn’t bother to even answer, merely hoisting him up. “Wait, how the hell’d you get here?! And why are you dressed like a Galra guard?”

“There’s no fucking time! Pidge said she’d be able to block the cameras for a few minutes at the most, and we need to get the hell out of here.” Ulrax groaned from the floor. Keith glanced back, flicking his hand so quickly that Lance didn’t even see the knife. No more movements came from the man, blood seeping out through the wound in his neck. “Here,” He shoved Lance’s Bayard in his hands, it instantly taking on the Energy Rifle form.

“My darling~!” Lance clutched it to his chest, grinning. “How I’ve missed you!”

The other male snorted, “And you say I have a problem with my obsession of swords. You take your relationship with your weapons to a whole different level.”

“Shut it, string bean.”

Keith’s eyebrow twitched, “That’s the last thing I want to hear from a toothpick like you.”

“Rude. The term is gracefully slender.” Lance quipped. His peripheral vision caught sight of a Galra and both of them reacted. Keith threw one of his knives, and Lance shot a beam straight for his heart. They met their mark, and Lance smirked, “I was faster.”

“Tch, only cause you have a gun. Try a knife and we’ll see who’s faster.”

Keith seemed to realize he had been sucked back into their banter and scowled, “Alright, now we really have to move.”

“Well I’m not going anywhere without Shiro.”

Keith looked bewildered, “Who the hell’s Shiro?”

“My Alpha,” Lance shot him a flat look, “Duh.”

“Your… Alpha? What? This is no place to joke around Lance!” He ignored Lance’s protests that he wasn’t lying. Keith gripped Lance’s arm, starting to tug him down a seemingly random corridor and immediately ran head first into a group of guards.

“…This would be a good time to run.” Keith paled, nodding in agreement. In sync they twisted and just about jumped around the corner. Panting, Lance nodded at the other, “You wanna, or me?” Shots flew past his head as he chanced a peek.

“All you. They’re too far away for my knives to be accurate.”

“Wow, was that a compliment I hear?” Lance snickered at the put out expression on his longtime friends’ face.

“Merely stating facts.”

“All right, 1, 2… and—,” _Crash!_ And then the sound of screams came, growls echoing after it. Lance knew that sound, and a huge smile crept onto his lips.

Keith looked startled, and when he glanced at Lance he blanched, “Ugh, what is with that expression? It’s disgustingly sappy. Stop.” Lance shot a glare at him, sticking out his tongue, and then stepped out into the passageway. Keith tried to draw him back, as he didn’t know what had happened. He hissed, “ _What_ are you doing?!” The swordsman’s eyes widened and his heart faltered for a moment as the dangerous presence moved closer. Their smell made his knees weaken, and he was no regular Alpha himself.

Lance ignored Keith for he was suddenly in a strong embrace. He could barely get his arms around Shiro’s shoulders before he was kissed. Shiro’s arms loosened enough that his hands settled on his hips, but he had brought Lance as much into his chest as he possibly could. It was a testament to how focused on getting Lance into his arms Shiro was that he finally noticed that someone else was standing a few feet away. Before the Alpha could react, Lance grabbed Shiro’s forearms.

“Don’t worry, he’s with us. Keith’s my friend.” A smug look overtook Lance’s expression as he turned to the ‘Red Paladin’, as Allura had dubbed him. He patted the bigger Alpha’s arm once, “ _This_ is Shiro, _my_ Alpha. You know, the one you didn’t think existed.”

“E-Eh—,” Keith just shook his head, “Whatever. We need to— Uncle?!”

Thack ran up behind Shiro, stopping to catch his breath. “Couldn’t have waited, huh?” He glared at the Champion, who merely shrugged. “Ah, Keith, good to see ya kiddo.” The Galra ruffled his nephew’s hair, smirking at the puffed up cheeks that indicated Keith’s annoyance.

“Whoa, okay. This planet is smaller than I thought.” Lance gaped, “Wait, does that mean Thace, _a top commander of Galra’s armies_ , is Keith’s fucking father?”

Thack chuckled, “Seeing as I have no other siblings, and he’s my nephew, yes.”

“I don’t need snark from you mister! But what are you doing here with Shiro anyways?” Lance smiled, raising an eyebrow, “You’re breaking Shiro out aren’t you? Aww, I knew we had a connection.” Keith grimaced at Lance’s tone, and watched in surprise as his own Uncle betrayed him.

The Galra snickered, “We’re brothers from another universe after all. I’d be a terrible brother if I left mine in prison.” Shiro watched in confusion and not a small bit of jealousy as Lance giggled a reply to the guard. Keith and him shared a look, momentarily bonding over their fond exasperation of Lance.

Keith sighed, breaking his Uncle and his friend from their talk with a smack to the back of their heads, “Not. The. Time!” Shiro would have stepped in to stop the hit, but something in the Champion’s mind told him that Lance’s friend didn’t smell like he meant any harm.

Thack coughed to cover his embarrassing slip of professionalism, “Right. This way, let’s go.” Jogging down the hall, they all followed the Galra’s lead. A few minutes passed and it looked like they had arrived in a hangar of sorts. There was a huge ceiling and big steel doors at the end. All kinds of machines were stationed here, but the one that Lance and Keith focused on right away were the gliders near the door. They looked like motorcycles but had wings stretching from the back that had pads to allow flight.

Lance and Keith smirked at each other in excitement.

“Keith, I can’t leave with you.” Thack stated, standing a bit away from them. “They’ll know it was me, and then trace it back to your father. I can’t put him in that position after all we’ve fought for.”

The Red Paladin looked torn, but he seemed to understand. “What do you need me to do?”

The Galra spread his stance, head high, and, “Don’t miss?”

Keith nodded, “I never miss.” He ignored Lances’ _‘Oi that’s_ my _line!’,_ and pulled out an extra short sword before he swiftly sunk it through Thack’s stomach. The man coughed, red splattering down his chest and on the floor. Keith gently lowered him to the floor, leaving the knife in the wound to staunch some of the flow. “I missed the vital organs. And the alarms should be on soon enough that you wont bleed out.”

A purple hand brushed through Keith’s hair again, messing the mullet up, “Never—,” _cough,_ “doubted you, kiddo. Tell your mother I said hello.” Thack slumped against a pillar and Keith studiously ignored how still his body looked while pressing his hand against the panel, using his uncle’s pass card. “Pidge, we’re on our way.” Keith glanced over to see the Alpha next to Lance staring at him, “with a tag along.”

“Roger that!” He heard through his headset before the coms cut off.

Lance hopped on one of the gliders, patting behind him for Shiro to sit down with him. He smirked at the paladin next to him astride another, “Think you can keep up?”

Keith sneered playfully, “Don’t be so eager to eat my dust, Sokka wannabe.”

“Hey! I’m way more badass! You’re so on, you Zuko wannabe!”

“Tch, my hair is way better than his.”

“ _That’s_ what you focus on?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> Me: It’s def only gonna only be 2 chapters
> 
> My Muse: Surprise extra chapter!
> 
> Me: *slams face against the table* Goddammit. 
> 
> My Muse: You know you wanted to~
> 
>  
> 
> T.T I was trying to get to the smut… but… the word count just kept growing and growing. So… it’s in the next one, the FINAL (I hope) one. And sorry if the smutty part wasn't that great, it's been a while. It's so damn hard to have people understand who's doing what when they're both guys and their pronouns are the same. -_-
> 
> And yes, I did make Thace Keith's father, and Thack is Thace's younger brother. (I actually had that planned before I posted the other chapter, that he'd help them escape). Thack is a BAMF too, yo. Tell me what you think!


End file.
